Stoker



Sept. 28, 1943.

E. s. oRMsBY STOKER Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 2,330,309 s'roKEn Erle S. yOrmsby, St. `Louis, ,Mo.

Application August 2, 1940, ASerial'No.,350,020

3 Claims.

This invention relates to stokers; and "has special reference to stokers having movable grates and a ram for delivering measured quantities of coal onto the movable grates.

Objects `of the invention are to provide an improved stoker comprising a ram for delivering measured quantities .of fuel onto a series of inclined grates controlled andoperated .by the ram, in a manner to cause a part of the'fresh fuel to pass under the body of ignited and burning fuel adjacent to the ram; to provide a cooperation of the ram and the grates that will greatly increase the Capacity of the stoker to burn fuel rapidly over the entire grate area; to provide a relative arrangement of the grates and the ram whereby at least a part of each fresh charge of fuel into the furnace is forced under 'the burning bed of fuel within the furnace; to provide means for operating the inclined grates in a manner to break up or stir and reshape the burningfuel within the furnace; to provide a novel form of combustion arch for causing the lean or thin gases from 'the ash-pit area to mix with the 'high volatile gases given off from the incoming freshfuel which is in the process of ignition, and Kto increase the. furnace temperature in the `smokeconsuming area at the front of the combustion arch; to provide cooperating elements associated with Athe Agrates for increasing the capacity or ability to `burn high volatile or smokeproducing fuels almost completely and without giving off visible smoke in objectionable quantities; to ,provide a bank of grates supported'between the ram and the movable grates for supporting the fuel to provide combined underfeed and overfeed igni-v tion of the coal delivered into the furnace by the ram; and to provide an adjustable device for controlling and regulating the amount of coal del livered into the furnace at each operation of the ram.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of my improved Stoker and grate mechanism showing the ram in retracted position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the connections for reciprocating the ram and controlling extent of movement of the grates.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the ram in an intermediate position.

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view showing the ram in its forward position to close the opening into the furnace.

The coal hopper I is located at the front of the 'The grate 8,is rigidly supported iby barst.

A link jill pivotally -connects ,themovable combined bottom wall and -rarn with La crank device IIniounted on .a supportlZand rotated by driving connections I3 from a motor ll. It isfapparent that, when the crank lIgI is rotated,` thev combined kbottom wall and ram will be moved -frornretractedy position shown in Fig. 1 tc theposition `shown inFig. 4;, in which therarn 5' is within ithe spa-oei and 'has forced fresh fuel downwardly along the grate .8 under the previously ignited fuel, and has also forced af part of the fresh fuel Iover and onto the vpreviously ignited fuel. lThis obtains Vcombined unde'rfeed and overfeed ignition of the `fuel as it is forced into -the furnace by the ram. When the ram is in the advanced position shown lin Fig. 4, the space 6 is substantially closed thereby.

The moving grate comprises a series of 4bars I 5 "having their *lower ends vsupported upon tubular rollers YI6 mountedona support I-'I and their upper `ends supported yby a bar Iii attached tothey -lower ends of a number of .operatin'g-flinks'li9.

'The lower 'ends yof the loperating links -I 9 are Joperatively supported .by rollers 2c mounted'on a stationary support 2I. The links I9 extend upwardly and forwardly and are provided with slotted pivot connections 22 with the movable bottom and ram device. The slotted connections 22 may be varied and interchanged as desired to regulate the extent of movement of the movable kgrate bars I5 with respect to the combined rain and movable bottom of the coal hopper. Ordinarilyit is not desirable to move the grate bars I5 as far as the ram and bottom is moved. The fact that the grate bars l5 are to be loscillated by operation of the ram 4 implies that there is sufficient looseness between the parts 4, I9 and I5 to' permit the grate bars I5 to be operated as de? scribed. This is familiar mechanical practice.

The movable grate bars I5 are arranged to receive the burning fuel from the stationary grates 8. Movement of said grates I5 breaks up or stirs and reshapes the burning fuel thereon somewhat `The ,space Ali is ,between the as would be effected by use of a poker or slicebar, or the like. The lower ends of the grates I5 are engaged by a tie-rod 23 which prevents relative vertical displacement thereof.

|The lower ends of the movable grates I5 operate over and along the upper ends of angular stationary grates 24 having their upper ends mounted on a single bar 25 and their lower ends engaging a retaining bar 26. Longitudinal movement of the gratesA l5 discharges the ashes and other solid remnants onto the stationary grates 24 and thence into the ash-pit 21 beyond the grates 24 and adjacent to the bridge wall 2S.

The combustion arch 29 of refractory material extends forwardly from the bridge wall 28 and is formed with a downwardly extended or drop arch 30 across its forward end. The drop arch 30 is separated from the gate arch 3 by a'space 3|.l

This arrangement causes the lean gases from the ash-pit area and from the rear of the burning fuel bed to move forwardly toward the space 3l and into the smoke consuming area, where they become mixed with the high volatile gases rising from the incoming fresh fuel during the process of ignition. When the lean and high volatile gases are mixed in this manner, complete combustion results so that there is substantially no visible smoke passing from the furnace.

A shaft 32 extends across the inlet end of the chute 2 and supports a wall or plate 33 that may be moved to different adjusted positions within and across the chute to vary the area of the inlet end thereof and thus regulate the amount of fuel passing into the chute.` A removable lid or door 34 may be mounted in an openingin the upper wall of the chute 2 to afford means for inspection of the inside of the chute.

It should now be apparent that this invention attains all of its intended objects and purposes eiciently and satisfactorily. The device may be manufactured and installed at comparatively low cost and will continue to function for an indefinite period of time as a highly efficient combustion device. The construction and arrangement of lthe parts may be varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from` the nature and principle of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a furnace, an arch member, a stationary inclined grate rigidly supported below and cooperating with said arch member to form a fuel inlet, a ram inclining downwardly and inwardly for movement into said inlet to deliver fuel through said inlet onto said grate, mechanism for operating said ram to deliver fuel through said inlet and onto said grate inwardly beyond said inlet, links pivotally attached at their outer ends to said ram outwardly beyond said grate for inward and outward movement by said ram, means for supporting the inner ends of said links, a transverse bar attached to said links below said grate, an inclined grate below and inwardly beyondsaid stationary grate arranged to receive fuel from said stationary grate and having its outer end supported by said' bar for operation thereby during operation of said ram, and means for supporting the inner end of said last named grate.

2. In a furnace, an arch member, a stationary inclined grate rigidly supported below and cooperating with said arch member to form a fuel inlet, a ram inclining downwardly and inwardly for movement into said inlet to deliver fuel y through said inlet onto said grate, mechanism for operating said ram to deliver fuel through said inlet and onto said grate inwardly beyond said inlet, a number of links, means pivotally connecting the outer ends of said links with said ram for operation thereby, an anti-friction device supporting the inner ends of said links, a transverse bar lattached to said links below said grate, an inclined grate below and inwardly beyond said stationary grate arranged to receive fuel from said stationary grate and having its outer end supported by said bar for operation thereby during operatic-n of said ram, and means for supporting the inner end of said last named grate.

3. In a furnace, an arch member, a stationary inclined grate rigidly supported below land cooperating with said arch member to form a fuel inlet, means cooperating with said arch member to form an outlet for the products of combustion, a ram inclining downwardly and inwardly for movement into said inlet to deliver fuel through said inlet onto said grate substantially below said outlet, mechanism for operating said ram to deliver fuel through said inlet and onto said grate inwardly beyond said inlet, an inclined grate below and inwardly beyond said stationary grate and immediately below said outlet arranged to receive fuel from said stationary grate, and links having their outer ends pivoted to said ram for movement thereby and having their inner ends connected to the outer end of said last named grate for moving said last named grate during operation of said ram.

ERLE` S. ORMSBY. 

